Will Iron Help Transform the Use of Renewable Energy?

Renewable sources of energy are more vital than ever before. While wind energy is a popular choice, the energy of the sun seems to be a more likely choice for the average home and business owner. As continued research has occurred, it is clear changes are on the horizon for solar energy and the way the cells are created for solar panels. The key to overcoming issues with the collection of solar energy is to find the right material to serve as the foundation for the collection cells.

In the past, ruthenium was the metal of choice for creating solar cells. Unfortunately, ruthenium is rather expensive which has been the biggest factor for causing solar panels to be out of reach, financially, for many. For years, researchers have worked to find a less expensive metal but until recently, their work has been fruitless. In the last couple of years, there has been a great discovery that may lead to important changes in the manufacture of cells.

With the use of nanoscience, scientists are hoping they have found the key to being able to use cheaper sources of metal. Using nanostructured titanium dioxide, along with a special dye, may allow solar cells to be created using an inexpensive iron instead of ruthenium. If iron were to be able to be used in the production of solar cells, this would help to dramatically cut the cost of manufacturing which would pass on the savings to consumers, making solar energy options more affordable than ever before.

Using a less expensive metal than ruthenium would finally place solar energy as the most affordable renewable energy source. Not only is iron being considered, but scientists are also using other inexpensive and plentiful metal choices to find the right one for creating cells.

If you would like to learn more about the use of iron in creating solar cells, check out this comment. Here, you will be able to stay abreast of the latest news on the subject so you can learn all you can about the new developments being discovered on an almost daily basis. Finally, it appears, solar energy will soon be more affordable to store than ever before.